Valentine Sugar Cookies
Soft and delicious sugar cookie – perfect for Valentine’s Day. Recipe will make between 2-3 dozen cookies.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Frosting, sprinkles, colored sugar, decorations
Method:
Beat together butter and sugar. Add sour cream, eggs, and vanilla; beat well. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.
Pre-heat oven to 350º F.
Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Dip cookie cutters in flour, then cut dough into desired shapes. Place cookies 1-inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes (cookie will be a very light tan on bottom – tops will still be pale). Remove to wire cooling rack. Frost when cooled.
Notes - Tips:
Nutrition analysis was calculated assuming recipe makes 2 dozen cookies. Frosting is not included in analysis.
How do you get a soft sugar cookie?
*Start with the right recipe and ingredients. Quality ingredients make quality cookies. Butter and sour cream naturally contribute to the desirability of sugar cookies.
*Roll dough 1/4 inch thick. Thinner cookies will be more crisp.
*Do not over-bake – bottom of cookie should be a pale tan color.
How do you roll the dough out to an even 1/4-inch thickness?
Elevate the rolling pin by:
*Roll dough out between two long chopsticks, or small dowels which are 1/4-inch in diameter.
*Place heavy rubber-bands (1/4 inch thick) on ends of rolling.
How can you “soften” over dry or too crisp sugar cookies?
*Store cooled baked cookies in air-tight container with a slice of bread (same principle as softening up brown sugar).
*Frost cookies and place in a single layer in an air-tight container.
How do you control the ‘spread’ of cookies while baking?
*Bake a test cookie first – adjust recipe as needed, using one of the tips below.
*Dough was not chilled properly – chill dough at least 1 hour before rolling out.
*Use real butter in the recipe, do not substitute margarines or “spreads” with reduced fat look-a-likes.
*Dough was placed on warm baking sheets – cool sheets between baking.
*Use a non-greased baking sheet or use parchment paper.
*Measure ingredients accurately – if needed, stir in a bit more flour.
How do you get sharp clean edges on cookie?
*Shaped – roll balls of dough in sugar, flatten with clear drinking glass dipped in sugar.
*Cookie cutters – dip cookie cutter in flour before cutting out shapes.
How can you rescue cookies with burnt bottoms?
*Use a fine grater (i.e. nutmeg grater) and ‘sand’ off the burnt bottom.
Butter Cream Frosting
1 cup butter, room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
4-6 tablespoons cream or milk
Gel or paste food coloring (optional)
Beat together butter, sugar, salt, vanilla and 1/4 cup cream or milk. Add additional cream, 1-2 teaspoons at a time, and continue to beat until frosting is smooth, creamy and is desired spreading consistency. Beat in food color, one drop at a time, as desired.
Color Flow Icing (for a smooth shiny cookie)
1 pound (4 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons color flow icing mix
1/4 cup, plus 1 teaspoon water
Food color paste or gels
Combine all ingredients in grease-free bowl. Using grease-free beaters and on low speed beat for 8 minutes. Stir in desired color. When not in use, cover icing with a damp cloth to prevent drying and crusting of surface.
Outline cookie shape or details within cookie first using full strength icing. Place icing in decorators bag and pipe a thin bead around cookie edge or outline. Allow bead to dry a few minutes and form a crust. The bead creates a dam to keep the icing within the desired shape. If the outline bead will be a different color from the filled space, allow bead to dry overnight to avoid colors bleeding.
Prepare filling color. Thin icing for the fill color by adding water (1 drop at a time), and stirring well. Do not add water too quickly, it is easier to continue to thin a stiff icing than to fix one that is too runny. Stir in desired food color. Icing is thin enough to ‘flow’ into the outlined pattern when a spoonful dropped back into the bowl takes a count of 10 to disappear. Icing will dry out quickly, cover when not in use.
To fill outline, place icing in a new decorators bag (one without a hole in the end), or use a disposable plastic bag; gently force icing into the tip of the bag. Cut a small hole in the tip of the bag and gently pipe the icing into the outlined shape, allowing it to flow into the shape. Do not stop until shape is filled. As needed, quickly push icing into corners using a toothpick. Allow icing to completely dry a couple of hours to overnight.
